Article 1 – Establishment of the By-Laws
When a By-Law is appended to this Constitution, it shall become a permanent rule for the conduct of the business of DFSE, Local 4750.
Article 2 – Amendments to the By-Laws
Section 1. Proposed amendments to the By-Laws of this Constitution may be initiated by a majority vote of the Executive Board or by petition of at least ten percent (10%) of the total General Membership in good standing. These signatures shall represent not fewer than twenty percent (20%) of the schools. Proposed changes must be submitted in writing to the Union President.
Section 2. At least one (1) week prior to the vote, the President shall provide the General Membership with written notification of the exact wording of the amendment(s) and of the date(s), the time(s), and the place(s) of voting.
Section 3. The vote on the amendment(s) shall be included as an agenda item at that meeting, prior to the voting.
Section 4. Voting on the proposed amendment(s) shall be conducted by the Election Committee in accordance with the voting procedures established in the By-Laws. However, only General Members shall be allowed to vote.
Section 5. A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary for passage of the proposed amendment(s).
Article 3 – Elections, Procedures, and Responsibilities
Section 1.
a. The Election Committee shall, through the official Union Communication, inform the Membership where the election will be held. Election Day shall be the second Thursday in the month of December during an election year.
b. The election polls shall be open from noon until 8:00 p.m. No votes shall be counted which are cast prior to the opening of the polls or to the subsequent closing of the polls.
c. Absentee ballots will be provided to members in good standing who request them no later than seventy-two (72) hours prior to the Election Day. Eligible to receive absentee ballots are only those members who are off work due to an illness, injury, or vacation. Said absentee ballots in order to be counted in the voting, must be sent by certified receipt mail to the attention of the Election Committee at the official Union office and must be postmarked at least twentyfour (24) hours prior to the day of election.
d. In order for a candidate to be elected, he/she must receive at least one (1) more vote than any other candidate receives for the same office. In the event of a tie vote, a run-off for that office will be held at the next regular meeting between the two (2) \highest vote getting candidates. In the event a candidate expires his/her name shall not be removed from the ballot. In the event the deceased candidate shall win an election, Article XI, Section 3 of this Constitution shall apply for filing said vacancy of office. Write-in and/or sticker candidate(s) shall not be legal and any vote cast for write-in and/or sticker candidate(s) shall be considered void and not computed for any reason whatsoever.
Section 2. Ballot Security and Fair Elections Practices
a. The Election Committee shall obtain and provide a list of General Members in good standing. The Election Committee shall check off all voters at the polling location.
b. Voting shall be by secret ballot.
c. The Election Committee shall:
(1) Adopt and publicize fair campaign rules, which shall be subject to amendment by the Membership.
(2) Count all ballots; certify and forward the results to the Executive Board as soon as possible
(3) Such ballots shall be kept secure in the Union Office in accordance with existing law.
(4) The Election Committee may enlist volunteer DFSE members to count ballots.
Article 4 – Ratification of the Collective Bargaining Agreement
Section 1. Ratification Meeting: Upon completion of negotiations for a new contract, copies of the tentative agreement shall be made available to all members of the bargaining unit at least twenty-four (24) hours before the beginning of the meeting to vote on ratification of the proposed agreement. Before a contract shall be ratified it must have approval of a majority of the members present at a special ratification meeting.
Article 5 – Sympathy
Section 1. In case of the death of a member or the death of a member of the immediate family, a floral arrangement, not to exceed forty (40) dollars, may be presented. Immediate family to include husband, wife, and children of members and parents. In the event there is more than one (1) member who has lost a member of their immediate family, one (1) donation will be presented.